Our Story

In 2005, Penokean Hills Farms was created by a small group of five family farmers. The goal was to be able to produce a premium-quality, 100% Northern Ontario brand of beef. We wanted to give local consumers access to a clean, tender and tasty product. Coupling that, our mandate has always been to raise each animal in a high-quality, stress-free environment, but also to enhance the local environment here and support our community.

Our cattle are primarily raised on natural grasses and finished for the last three months of their lives on our Premier Award Winning Pea-Barley finishing diet. This diet promotes great tenderness and you’ll love its uniquely local flavours. We predominantly use British-based breeds of cattle such as Black and Red Angus. These animals are free to forge on the natural grasses and plants that are both healthy for the cattle, the consumer and adapted to Northern Ontario conditions.

With the added demand over the years, we have grown to supply beef to Ontario consumers through now 14 local family farms in Algoma. The name “Penokean” is a geological term for the rolling hills throughout the Algoma area. As part of the Canadian Shield, the Penokean Hills Farms rest in these hills above the clear northern shores of Lake Huron. A largely untouched and ideal area for farming, but relatively unknown to the larger urban centres.We think its our best kept secret.

Our farmers adhere to strict guidelines in raising cattle. We take great care to ensure that the animals we raise are well looked after. Each animal is bred for excellent tenderness and taste through a thorough process of genetic research. All of our products contain no added-hormones or any unnecessary antibiotics. The above factors, as well as their diet, contribute to the great tasting beef we enjoy.

In the Spring/Summer of 2015, Penokean Hills Farms purchased the local abattoir (Northern Quality Meats) located in Bruce Mines, ON. As the only abattoir in the entire Algoma district, it serves not only as an important cog to our farms, but also to many other local farmers in the community. It has allowed Penokean Hills Farms to offer our beef to various wholesale markets in Ontario and with this wholesale growth, it has now allowed the abattoir to become sustainable for the first time in many, many years. Plans to revitalize and build a new abattoir are now underway with the hope that it will be completed by the end of 2018.

If you haven’t yet tried our products, we think you’ll be impressed by the quality and unique flavour of a 100% Northern Ontario product. Pork and lamb are also available under the same diet and natural conditions periodically. They are available for retail purchase at the Mill Market in Sault Ste. Marie. Thank you for supporting us and supporting our local farmers!